Songs I Should Listen To More {Part 1}

Songs I don't listen to enough anymore. At one point, these could have been my favorite.
Or, they just remind me of a time, a place, friends, etc.

Maybe by blogging them I'll go through and listen to them more.

A DJ my girls and I used to looooove.




I'm pretty sure this song kept me awake and not dead when I was driving home from work at 5am. I always drove home with Tiesto up LOUD and the windows DOWN so I could make it through those long nights! {If you can't stand this type of music, you should at least appreciate that one of the guys from BBMak sang on the track! LOL}


Can never have enough Robyn.


I love this version that Lindsay did from The Voice.


I obviously like her. I have other favorites, ahem, Jermaine Paul, but her songs are ones I want to actually listen to.


I've had RENT in my head this entire week! It's been driving me nuts. In a good way of course. It could never get old.


I'm pretty sure I'll still be listening to 90s music, well, for forever. Sister Hazel specifically. Technically this song came out in the early 2000s but Sister Hazel just screams 90s to me.




This took me foreverrrr to find because it's a remix. I couldn't remember who did this... did you know Myspace still exists? It even had a list of all the songs I've had up on my profile since like... forever ago.


At least I hear the clip of this during the Enterprise commercials I feel like I always see.


Lauryn Hill always and forever. I could listen to her all. day. long. I don't ... which is why I've created this post.

P.S. Do I love or hate Nikki Minaj's "Starships." I can't decide but I for one never turn it off when it comes on the radio...

Pinterest Pirate Baby Bash

Source: free-funnypictures.cc.cc via Krystal on Pinterest

I'm just browsing some websites looking for pirate themed parties. There are some adorable ideas out there! As I've mentioned before, I'm from an area in Florida that prides itself on partying like pirates every so often. It would only make sense that we have a pirate themed baby bash. Some ideas I've been seeing online (and passing onto my baby shower hostesses of course!) are as follows:

Source: Uploaded by user via Krystal on Pinterest

A cute favor -- and budget friendly!

Source: Uploaded by user via Krystal on Pinterest

A variation of that same favor.

Source: etsy.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Invites have to have a pirate ship on them! ;)

Source: etsy.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Games

Source: amazon.com via Krystal on Pinterest

I pretty much love these.

Source: flickriver.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: babyshowerstuff.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Theresa on Pinterest

And, I'm sorry, but this is just adorable.

Source: etsy.com via Krystal on Pinterest

P.S. Can I let you in on a secret? My baby shower will be the first one that I've ever attended. Pretty wild, huh? My bridal shower and my bachelorette parties were actually the first that I had attended of those kind either.

An Afternoon at the Dog Beach

Taking the dogs to the dog beach is one of my favorite things to do -- we just don't do it TOO often because our dogs are nutty and absolutely hyper. We haven't been to the dog beach since we moved down here, so we decided to give it a go with one dog -- the "social" one.

He did great! He was so well behaved and he didn't need to be on a leash. He stayed nearby and ran up and down the shore.

We were surrounded by water on both sides -- I'm assuming because it was high tide?
Anyway, it was pretty neat....and not crowded!

Sometimes the best adventures are spontaneous and simple. I like those kind of days!

Being a Tourist in Your Own Town

We just moved to Southwest Florida about 7 months ago or so, but it feels like yesterday. There are so many things that we haven't done and hanging out in Naples is one of them. We have gone out down in Naples a few times, but nothing really on the water! My mom came down to town armed with some Groupons for a cheesy tourst boat ride...a "sight seeing" tour if you will.

I will say, we saw some sights. Mostly in the form of million dollar mansions on the water in Naples.

All aboard!

Our sweet ride for the afternoon


Taking pictures of people's houses is a little odd, I know.

Basically after about thirty minutes of boating past mansions and learning about where the founder of Revlon lives or where the guy who invented Haagen Daaz retired, we were able to see the real "sights" of the day. Dolphins!

I must say, I was impressed by how many dolphins were hanging out in this area. Obviously, coming from the Clearwater area, we see dolphins a LOT but there were SO MANY just putting on a show for us.

PS - I guess I'm going to watermark my photos nowadays.
Picmonkey.com is the new Picnik! So far, so good.

After toting around the bay for awhile, we reached the Gulf of Mexico. It was BEAUTIFUL.

The weather was nice and windy -- it wasn't really hot. In fact, this Florida girl had some goosebumps from the "chilly wind." Yes, the tourists I'm sure thought I was crazy.

I'm not sure what this little boat charges regularly, but one of our Groupons was free and the other was about $15. I'd say not bad for an afternoon out on the water.

And, it just reminded me how many rich people live in Naples. Apparently Tom Hanks just bought a house down where we were "sightseeing." I wouldn't mind bumping into him!

20 Weeks: Half Baked!

*How far along?: 20 weeks.... um, does anyone else realize that I'm have been pregnant for THIS long?! It's half over. Isn't that insane?
*How big is baby?: A cantaloupe. Supposedly.
*Total Weight Gain/Loss: Plus a bunch.
*Maternity Clothes: For sure. Even my "large" shirts I bought at Target for the time being are getting snug.
*Gender: A BOY.
*Sleep?: Not as.
*Best moment this week? Buying a Graco Pack n' Play at a children's consignment store for pretty much nothing. The one I wanted on my registry was a regular one, but this one we found looked barely used and had all the bells & whistles--music, vibrations, a changer, bassinet. We also picked up the crib, the glider, and some other goodies. Once everything is assembled.... um, we will be done?! Except the final touches of course.
*Food cravings?: I had CHIPOTLE today and it was heavenly. We don't have one nearby where I live so I haven't had it since I moved from Tampa!
*What I miss: WINE. This weekend Scott & my mom happily sampled some fruity wines at a local winery. Jealous.
*Symptoms: Those crazy Charlie Horses woke me up the other night.... where did those COME from!?
*What I'm Looking Forward To: The weekend, I suppose. Sitting at my desk all day makes me achy...though walking around makes me out of breath way too quickly! I need to find a happy medium. The weekend will also be more time for us to just get this house in order.
*Thoughts: Things are progressing--quickly I might add! We figured out a baby shower date and location...now, we figure out the invite list and order invitations!

Book Club Friday: Baby Bargains

{Originally posted at And Then There Were Three...}

Since Danielle is expecting numero dos and I'm well on my way to having my first, I thought I would share the first helpful baby book I read--Baby Bargains. This book is really popular with girls on The Bump and I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

It's a massive book--608 pages! But, it's not a very wide book. The pages are narrow...there's just lots of them. There is SO MUCH information but it was easy to process once you dived in. I think what I liked most about the book was the general knowledge stuff that I had NO idea about. How many diapers would you need in a year? How much does it cost to breast feed versus formula? What do you need in a diaper bag? They estimate it will cost $7,000 for a baby in its first year.... Yikes.

Since I'm the first person I really know to get pregnant and go through this process, I didn't have many people to ask these kinds of questions to. It will REALLY help when I'm ready to make a registry or make purchases myself. I can use its reviews as a guideline to see what products in my price range are recommended. They always list "cheaper" versions of expensive and popular products. I really liked that section.

The only thing I didn't like was my crib was rated an F in the last edition....this new edition (they reprint every 2 years with more info!) bumped it up to a B-. Well, that makes me feel better.
They even have a website where you can download a sample chapter and join their community for more reviews of products.

Buy it on Amazon for $11. It's worth it if you're totally clueless like I am and can't seem to navigate the thousands of baby products out there that all seem so similar!

Pinteresting Party Ideas

{Originally Posted at Nichole's blog Life as a Newlywed!}

So while Nichole is off drinking fancy cocktails on the beach on her cruise, the rest of us are stuck here counting down the days until our next vacations! Or, if you're like me, counting down the next time you can actually consume an alcoholic beverage...

... I'm Krystal and I blog over here. I've known Nichole since I was about 16 but we didn't really connect until a year or so ago (Am I right?! LOL). We always were doing the same things--baseball, bars, movies--but never got our acts together to hang out! Anyway, better later than never! ;) Nichole has been such a faithful blogger since starting up recently, and I'm so proud of her!

Since Nichole is off celebrating under the sun, I decided to compile some adult party ideas (complete with beverages!) for us regular folk to drool over. And, since I can't have a cocktail for quite a long time (Hello, pregnancy!), this post might be a little heavy on the beverages... ;D

Source: eat-yourself-skinny.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Skinny Beer-Ritas. They claim not to pack on the pounds.

Your next party MUST:

Source: perpetualkid.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Gummy shot glasses. Just drink...and eat!

Source: mrshappyhomemaker.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Make ice cubs out of Kool-Aid and add to whatever beverage you might be drinking...

Source: craftandcreativity.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Very cute party idea... Washi tape around plastic glasses

Source: Uploaded by user via Krystal on Pinterest

Keep the booze cold -- freeze balloons!

Source: megseverydayindulgence.wordpress.com via Krystal on Pinterest

A great gift for any party hostess...

Another ice cube trick:

Source: culinarytribune.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Freeze lemons, blueberries, mint, etc. Perfect drink complements!

Don't forget about your furry friends while you're having your next backyard get together:

Source: fetchdog.com via Krystal on Pinterest

How awesome is that? I know that my dogs would LOVE it. They go wild over ice.

And, just remember...

Source: themetapicture.com via Krystal on Pinterest

Word.

19 Weeks & A Name

Last weekend -- Easter on the BEACH!

*How far along?: 19 weeks
*How big is baby?: A mango.
*Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ignoring the scale between Doctor's visits. I think that is a great plan.
*Maternity Clothes: Yes - a good mix of maternity pants with regular shirts/tanks. Dresses are my friend -- though my regular pre-pregnancy dresses are now like scandalous tunics on me! Leggings are also my friend.
*Gender: A BOY.
*Sleep?: Often.
*Best moment this week? Deciding on a name. See below.
*Food cravings?: Weird, but milk. I never drank milk... in fact, I probably haven't had milk in about a decade if not longer until this week. I don't know why, I felt compelled to try some milk with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and I've had a big glass every day since then.
*What I miss: My energy.
*What I'm Looking Forward To: TODAY. Today is a sick day, I'm home and trying to rest and feel better. I worked on Saturday and it really took the life out of me. I was on my feet running around all day -- which used to be a normal day for me. However, I woke up Sunday feeling like an old lady with swollen feet and missing ankles.
*Thoughts: Just getting by one day at a time. I'm trying to get back into cooking and feel more like "me." We were able to go out Saturday night and had a great time at dinner and out at a bar seeing some music. It was nice to be with people we knew and just BSing. Definitely a good night indeed.

So, about that name? I figured there is no point to really hide it on here. And, besides, I have to lay claim to it before those celebrities start popping out their babies this year! I'm barely halfway through and I do realize it's early to announce as we could maybe change it. Well, with a husband as stubborn as mine... the name is NOT changing. In fact, we apparently had decided on the name before we were even engaged.

I vaguely remember we were out, drinking of course, and I said something about liking the names "Cannon" and "Hunter." I had only met one person named Cannon in my life and it was trendy enough yet not too out there. My husband never forgot this and Cannon was the only boys name he would consider.

Since I couldn't suggest anything "better" than Cannon (some of the names on my list were Clark, Silas, Asher, to name a few), Cannon just stuck. After mulling the name over for 19 weeks, it's just become a part of us I suppose. I knew early on that I was having a boy -- I just KNEW -- so I also just knew he would be called Cannon. I'm used to the name, it is a little jarring when some people hear it, but it's us. If you knew my husband, you would know and say, "Of course he picked Cannon!"

Middle names were more tricky. See, our last name is not easy on the ears. It's long and nothing sounds "right" with it. I thought a one syllable middle name would flow nicely, but I gave up on that idea when I realized that nothing really "flows" right. This name business is tricky, eh?

And, for some reason, since knowing that our "he" would become a Cannon -- I just wanted his middle name to begin with a T.

Why, hello, CT.

Not that we plan to call the little guy CT, but we could. Well, I could. My husband doesn't like it but I think CT is adorable!

My first choice for a middle name was Tate but I had two people say "Taint?!" after sharing that idea. My husband also was not a fan.

I then started to remember how I always thought middle names should have meaning -- maybe a surname from past relatives or a first name passed down. My grandfather from my mother's side was George Theodore. Theodore!

So, we have 21 more weeks to go before we meet lil' Cannon Theodore. The traditional "Theodore" balances out the trendiness of "Cannon." Not that I have to explain our choice, I just wanted to share our rationale. And, after repeating it to myself a million times and typing it out, I think it's pretty damn cute. I'm not sure how the name Cannon will age, but hey, I'm a Krystal with a K and I'm doing just fine as an adult.

This was a pain staking process! We both are pretty stubborn and once we like something -- that's it.

Now -- let the monogramming begin! ;)

Serving Vegetables With Country Crock

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Ever since I've gotten pregnant, you know that my husband has been particularly particular about what I've been eating. More fruit sand vegetables -- less crap. Now, I haven't been solid on that rule, but I'm trying. One way that I've been trying is researching new recipes to make vegetables taste better.

I never have been one to enjoy them -- even though I do love a salad loaded with tomatoes -- I usually can throw some shredded cheese on broccoli and all of a sudden I'm into it. But, with the little one on the way not only do I need to eat vegetables for both of us -- but also for the future. It won't look right if mommy is forcing some veggies on her kids while choosing to not eat any herself. Sigh.

Introduce Country Crock and the Clara Crespo Cookbook. The recipes in here are SO cute. No, really, they are. They are not only perfect for everyday use in your home, but would be great as party pleasers. Very adorable ideas that I had never thought of! Veggie wagons, zucchini boats, and my personal favorite, Hippo Dip!

In Hippo Dip, the dip is housed in a squashed that is hollowed out and filled with a dip that consists of softened cream cheese, Country Crock, and various seasonings. This one would FOR SURE be a great addition to a party table.

Yet, for me, the battle is not on creating on great looking vegetables... it's on finding something that I would be willing to eat. For today's mission, I chose the Peas and Thank You recipe from the Clara Crespo Cookbook.

The Peas & Thank You recipe yields four servings and was SO fast to make -- about 15 minutes. Basically you cute adorable little hearts in the carrots as you peel and chop them. :) Thrown in a frying pan with Country Crock Spread, shallots, a bit of water, and peas... and you're left with a cute way to serve up typical peas and carrots. The added seasonings and the butter flavor really made the carrots edible for me! I'm certainly by no means a carrot eater.

With the addition of Country Crock to my vegetable routine, I can see there would be no reason to "hide" vegetables. They just simply taste better. Also, Country Crock boasts 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than better. Win!

Learn more about Country Crock on Facebook and Twitter.

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Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

All About West Coast Florida

{Originally posted on Henning Love as part of her Hometown Series!}

I've been feeling a little homesick and I knew this might cheer me up...perhaps even encourage me to make a trip back home!

I'm Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch and I'm a true Florida girl. I've never lived anywhere else (barely even visited other states!), and have spent my entire existence on the west Gulf coast of Florida. And, I wouldn't have traded it for anything else!

I was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. Sometimes besides sports - I wonder what outsiders think of this city. I grew to love it and now I totally miss it. Tampa has everything that one could want.

Sports. From the Tampa Bay Bucs (okay, so MAYBE a winning football team night be nice) to the Tampa Rays (formerly the Devil Rays), we have sports covered. We have hockey (Lightning) and even arena football (Storm). If you're craving basketball, the Orlando Magic is just a two hour drive east.

My favorite weekend ever (besides my wedding of course!) was when the Super Bowl was in Tampa a few years ago. From stalking celebrities to free concerts, it was a BLAST. I have never seen so many famous people in one weekend!

Theme Parks. There's Busch Gardens in the city limits and TONS of other area attractions. From museums to aquariums, there is really no reason to ever be bored! The Disney Theme Parks are not a far drive (again, an hour or so east) and Universal Studios is also nearby in Orlando.

Beaches. Yes, the beach! I love Gulf Coast beaches. Clearwater is my favorite, but I'm a little biased. I had way too much fun there growing up. We even got married on this beach!

See pirate ship. Read on to learn why pirates are a big deal in Tampa.

Nightlife. Tampa is known for its adult establishments. I thought that was normal growing up -- that every town had a street in the middle of the city that had some...interesting places. That's definitely not the case! Besides those adult spots, there are tons of fun bars and clubs. We even got a Hard Rock casino. Like I said, there's really no chance that you could be bored around here. The diversity of nightlife is also apparent--beer bars, fancy wine lounges, crazy dance clubs--you name it, I'm sure Tampa has it.

Small Towns. Tampa is a HUGE city for some people. There's a lot of traffic, a pretty big population, and naturally, crime. With any big city, crime is a given. However, what is awesome about the Tampa area, are the cute little town that lie on the outskirts. My favorite, Dunedin, is nestled on the water and is a family & dog friendly city. It boasts local breweries (The Dunedin Brewery is one of my favorites -- craving an Apricot Wheat Ale now!) and beautiful views. Other small towns include Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, and Oldsmar. Tarpon Springs is best known its Greek population (apparently the largest amount of Greek Americans live there!) and tourist attractions.

Dunedin Brewery's Oktoberfest beer mugs.

Dunedin, also known as DOGedin, is a great place to hang out with (or without!) your pets!

Pirates. This entire area has a fascination with PIRATES. It's kind of amazing. Every year Tampa hosts a Gasparilla parade--basically an excuse to dress up like a pirate, indulge in some adult beverages, and watch a crazy parade. And, this isn't just a small city event. About half a million people head to Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa each year to watch the mayhem.

I recently moved two hours south -- same vibe, different crowd! I still have a nearby beach with a variety of neat restaurants, but nightlife is a little nonexistent. At least Tampa is a short drive north!

Though, I shouldn't complain about my new digs. Being a bit more south, we are a LOT more warm!

Christmas Eve on the beach? Done. And... it was HOT out.

Ft Myers Beach Pier -- my new beach!

I hope you all started mentally booking your Florida vacation as you read this! If you have any questions be sure to ask! I love where I live and I love to encourage others to come visit. I've been quite the beach expert lately so if you're looking for warm weather and good times, head on down to Florida!